HomeAid Atlanta
Who is HomeAid Atlanta?
Becoming active in January 2002, HomeAid Atlanta is a nonprofit organization working in partnership with the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association. HomeAid Atlanta is a local chapter of HomeAid America, a leading national provider of transitional housing for the temporarily homeless. The HomeAid mission is to build dignified transitional housing where temporarily homeless families and individuals rebuild their lives. This is accomplished through the donation of construction services and materials from members of the local homebuilding industry.
HomeAid Atlanta provides far more than safe, dignified living environments. By linking with Care Providers that offer supportive social services such as life and job skills training, HomeAid Atlanta serves those who need a hand up, not a handout, allowing temporarily homeless children, women and men the opportunity to reclaim lives of self-sufficiency.
Although the Atlanta area offers many excellent programs to assist the homeless, these organizations cannot keep up with the increasing demand. HomeAid Atlanta strives to meet the needs of the temporarily homeless population by focusing on increasing capacities at local transitional housing facilities, providing more temporarily homeless families and individuals a second chance to get back on their feet and regain independence.
Visit HomeAid Atlanta's web site at www.homeaidatlanta.org for more information.
How does HomeAid Atlanta work?
HomeAid Atlanta uses a proven, easy, three step process. 1) Identify and select a successful, community Care Provider that seeks construction services to expand the capacity of their facility, through building a new facility or renovating an existing structure. 2) Recruit a volunteer Builder Captain who coordinates construction and assists in securing trade partners to provide in-kind labor, materials or services. 3) This team works together to build or renovate the facility, aiming to serve a larger number of temporarily homeless families and individuals.
HomeAid Atlanta builds transitional housing facilities with minimal cash, enabling Care Providers to focus their limited resources and attention on direct service programs for the homeless. On average, every $1 invested in HomeAid Atlanta results in $2 to $3 of in-kind labor and materials.
Why help HomeAid Atlanta?
On any given night, more than one million Americans are homeless. Research Atlanta estimates Atlanta's homeless population on an average night is approximately 13,000, with 65 percent being children and women. Poverty, lack of affordable housing, eroding job opportunities, mental illness, domestic violence, chemical dependency, desertion or death of a parent or spouse and natural disasters are all causes of homelessness. It is clear Atlanta requires more resources and greater visibility in helping the homeless. HomeAid Atlanta is one such resource that is helping to improve the conditions of Atlanta's temporarily homeless families and individuals.
